Shapeshifter Armor??

Well, while it is not RAW if the shapeshifter is magically active beyond simply as a shifter I wouldn't bar something armored like an armor jacket that shifts with the critter coming out of the depths of Old Siberia that a magic user can bind to. They are the shifter nation, right?

Armor that shifts with a player could theoretically be made. Some sort of Spandex/Kevlar body suit with Armored plates on the chest, outer thighs, arms, ect. How expensive and how effective are pure houserules. As would be armor for an Animal form.

RAW, you're got the bag for most forms. Although especially large or small animal forms even that probably doesn't work.

I think Armor should be available for animals, but you've got to make your own stats for the most part.

How expensive and how effective are pure houserules. As would be armor for an Animal form.

RAW, you're got the bag for most forms. Although especially large or small animal forms even that probably doesn't work.

Actually, looking at the rules, saying there's any sort of problem is the house rule. There are no listed limitations on armor fitting. Even disallowing a troll from wearing a dwarf's armored vest is a house rule as nothing in the rules mentions such a restriction. I believe it perfectly logical to disallow the troll from wearing the dwarf's vest, of course, but the logical thing is still the house rule.

Likewise, RAW does not limit fitting armor to forms. By RAW, the cost, availability, and effectiveness of armor for when you turn into a rhino is the same as list value for humans. Maybe you need to go through different channels, or get it custom made, but it's there. Maybe that'll change with the critter book, maybe not.

Now, if you want to go into the realm of book armor being unavailable to animals, or being more expensive, or less effective, or being limited to a bag, or less available, that's your call and it's between you and your table, but that is the realm of house rules.

How expensive and how effective are pure houserules. As would be armor for an Animal form.

RAW, you're got the bag for most forms. Although especially large or small animal forms even that probably doesn't work.

Actually, looking at the rules, saying there's any sort of problem is the house rule. There are no listed limitations on armor fitting. Even disallowing a troll from wearing a dwarf's armored vest is a house rule as nothing in the rules mentions such a restriction. I believe it perfectly logical to disallow the troll from wearing the dwarf's vest, of course, but the logical thing is still the house rule.

Likewise, RAW does not limit fitting armor to forms. By RAW, the cost, availability, and effectiveness of armor for when you turn into a rhino is the same as list value for humans. Maybe you need to go through different channels, or get it custom made, but it's there. Maybe that'll change with the critter book, maybe not.

Now, if you want to go into the realm of book armor being unavailable to animals, or being more expensive, or less effective, or being limited to a bag, or less available, that's your call and it's between you and your table, but that is the realm of house rules.

Fair point. Off I go to put a suit of Ares Big Game Hunter on my Harley. RAW doesn't ban Motorcycles from wearing Armor either.

Spandex and Kevlar are pretty much mutually exclusive. Kevlar works by resisting stretching/ripping.

Nanotech would be your best bet, like the Altskin Armor from Chrome Flesh p. 153.

I was thinking of whatever material that the Urban Explorer jump suit is made from. That is all stretchy and bulletproof.

It has to be no more than a days work to knock together something stretchy that can cover a Metahuman and a roughly metahuman sized Animal. Then stick a few mock armor plates on it. Let 'em shift back and forth a few times and make adjustments. Bang out the real thing as a one-off custom suit. Expensive as you'd need a day or seven of work from a decent armorer. Plus materials. But it certainly seems possible for some shifters.

Falcon, Equine and the like seem a bit unlikely coming from a regular human sized Meta type.

Fair point. Off I go to put a suit of Ares Big Game Hunter on my Harley. RAW doesn't ban Motorcycles from wearing Armor either.

You can interpret the rules that way, and if I'm GMing, I have absolutely no problem saying no and openly admitting it's a house rule. Just like my prior mention that I'd likely double the base price is a houserule. I might also up the availability, and I'd most likely make it take longer and be a custom job to get it, which are also houserules.

Any thoughts on how well an armored cloak would work for not having to worry about getting in/out of armor when changing forms? The armor value isn't great but it might work to give at least something and mitigate the "where's my pants" factor.

If you are shifting to a larger form I can see being able to loosen it to the right size before you shift and then tightening it up again when you come back. Shifting to a smaller size would be harder without help (unless it could auto-adjust somehow).

If you are shifting to a larger form I can see being able to loosen it to the right size before you shift and then tightening it up again when you come back. Shifting to a smaller size would be harder without help (unless it could auto-adjust somehow).

Okay so just got Howling Shadows and was skimming the Drake Rules from p. 165

"Shifting into dracoform causes a certain degree ofbody growth, not to mention the appearance of a tailand sometimes wings. This can play havoc with clothingand armor. Some drakes opt for less restrictive clothingwhile others have their clothing specially tailored withmagnetic flps and size-adjusting gusseting. Such adjustments increase the cost of the armor or clothing by10%. "

Seems to me that as long as your Animal and Metahuman forms are similar in Mass you're good to go here, subject to GM approval.

Bear to Troll. Wolf to Human. Tiger to Gnome. Okay maybe not Tiger to Gnome. But Dog to Gnome.

Remember, though, that Drakes are still roughly humanoid in shape in their dracoform. Armor designed for humanoids tends to focus on the chest and back, because those are the largest parts of the body most open to getting shot. When you are dealing with any quadruped, though, the most vulnerable parts are on the sides, and the arrangement of limbs is different. And when you get into other animals, such as birds, serpents, or anything aquatic...

So while a Western Drake may be able to get their lined coat to work with their dracoform, a wolf shifter would find a lined coat cumbersome, at best.

Now, you CAN make armor for their shifted form (they have armor for K9 dogs, after all), but that's another kettle of fish.

Again, up to the GM, but you're sprouting Wings, a Tail, Armored Scales, and putting on some undefined amount of mass. If these changes can be accommodated I'm not sure why Man to Wolf or Troll to Bear would be so incredibly different. YMMV though.